**About page to include: History of the organization, current member counties (map, data set, demographics, and commissioner member biographies).**
The Northern Counties Land Use Coordinating Board was established in 1993 pursuant to the Minnesota Joint Powers Act. The Board’s primary mission was to provide leadership in the development of comprehensive land use plans that met the needs of the people of the area.
In 1995, the Minnesota Legislature approved an appropriation of funds for the Board for the “development of a coordinated planning process and comprehensive land use plans pursuant to policy goals in the National Environmental Policy Act.”
Experience in that process led to a pilot project to document instances when land use regulations and policies are incompatible with local government land use authority and when regulations and policies interfere with private property rights, as well as to identify a means of resolving differences. The result was a two-part report issued in 2004 to the Minnesota Legislature regarding land use and environmental decision processes.
Since that report was published, the Board has actively engaged in monitoring issues that affect its member counties, At the same time it has sought input in the early stages of policy making at all levels, proactively seeking effective land use that reflects adequate representation of public values.